International global
neoliberal plans to exploit the natural resources hit the Arctic. Confrontation
of the NATO and Russia is present. Indigenous rights are oppressed by the
interests of the big capital. Time urges political parties, civil society,
NGO´s, environmental – human rights and peace organizations, academic
people, investigators and researchers,
workers, artists, intellectuals and activists to make a statement and
participate in common discussion about environment-security and human right
issues in the Arctic. That is why Communist Party of Finland and Euorpean Left have
invited political parties, NGO´s, civil societies activists – environmental-
peace- and human rights / indigenous rights organizations, workers and individual
activists to discuss the Arctic and three main topics; Security, Environment
and Indigenous Rights.

Josef Baum, researcher
from the University of Vienna opens debate from the environments point of view.
Please read here a “teaser” for Baum´s intervention. Welcome to Kirjan talo,
Kirjatyöntekijän katu 10 on Monday 6. of June at 10.00 o’clock.

Josef Baum:

There are many regions in Europe which are and will be
suffering by rapid climate change above average: one is the Arctic. As for most
people and regions in the world - also for the Arctic the main causes of
climate change have been almost solely originating from outside. The Arctic is
a very sensitive socio-ecological region. The (cold) Arctic has become global
hot spot in global climate change dynamics because of strong self-accelerating
processes and fundamental global repercussions.

The effects of the melting ice have only minor, short-term
positive aspects for economic development in relation to the far greater
long-term environmentally destructive developments in the Arctic region. The IPCC
forecasts ”unprecedented challenges for northern communities“, “in combination
with globalization” there will be “large effects on Arctic communities,
especially “where narrowly based economies leave a smaller range of adaptive choices“. There
will be also significant health implications. - Changes until now are
significant but they are almost very small in relation to the scientifically
forecasted coming tremendous changes in this century. - Neoliberal deregulation during the last 35
years also triggered the increase of regional and social disparities in the
Arctic.

“Fossil capital” has resulted in a “lock-in”–situation which
sooner or later will entail fast or slow devaluation. In times of climate
change we meet energy patterns have changed irreversibly. So instead of
dead-end streets with a ”curse of resources”: Leave the fossil fuel in the
Arctic seabed! But the actual EU-policy on the Arctic is stuck within a corporate orientated framework:
Commodification, fossil lock-in and geopolitical interests are prevailing.

Inspired by the positive example of the Antarctic treaties:
pro a moratorium of exploiting of (fossil) resources and demilitarization of
the Arctic; and a real sustainable development: Regarding the tight
relationship - generally and especially also for the Arctic – between exploitation
of man, exploitation of nature and militarisation, in a dialectic manner the
consistent perspective is a society of solidarity and harmony with nature and
peace.

ARCTIC INITIATIVE

is a joint initiative of the
Environmental Working Group of the Party of the European Left and the Communist
Party of Finland to invite 6.6.2015 in Helsinki to an Open Forum; political
parties of the European Left and the
Arctic region, activists of the civil society in Arctic Region countries and
Europe, NGO´s, environmental – Indigenous rights and peace organizations,
academic people, investigators and
researchers, artists, intellectuals and activists in the Arctic Region
countries and Europe to discuss three topics; security, environment and human
rights.

Each participant brings own knowledge to the common understanding and
argumentation, has possibility to make proposals for common actions and can
participate in the debate.

Baum,
Josef, Economist, geographer; interdisciplinary senior
researcher at the Department of East Asian Studies
-University of Vienna, Austria, member of board of Transform! Austria and member
of the EL Environmental group

Brodine,
Marc, activist, writer and artist.Chairman of the National
Environmental Commission of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), member of the
CPUSA National Committee and National Board, USA

Tekijä

English

Chairperson of the Communist Party of Finland JP (Juha-Pekka) Väisänen in his "70 Years of Socialism in China” - Wanshou seminar speech in Beijing said that Communist Party of China has leading global initiative involving world progressive, leftist and communist forces to an active part in political dialogue for a better world towards socialism.

"Many young people that are political. I've observed how young people are increasingly worried about environmental issues that capitalist system is unwilling to solve. I'd say, if we could find the way to show that we, defenders of socialism, are those who care for environment and want to save it for the future generations as well, then we could attract even more people", said Heikki Ekman in Caracas.

The Communist Party of Finland (CPF) sends revolutionary greetings to the South African Communist Party (SACP) and in particular extends its solidarity to the SACP and to the Young Communist League of South Africa in light of the recent spate of murders of communists in South Africa.